1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a protective containment device for an outboard motor and, more particularly, to a generally tubular structure shaped to extend through a wall of the outboard motor and maintain certain hoses, cables, and wires separate from certain other cables.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In many different applications, it is necessary to pass certain wires, cables, and conduits through a wall or other solid structure. Those skilled in the art are familiar with various techniques for performing that task. Skilled artisans are also familiar with many different techniques for bundling wires and/or conduits together in a compact structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,072, which issued to Arasi, Jr. on Mar. 24, 1987 describes a cable-connector assembly. The assembly is adapted to be removably secured to a housing of a multiple connection device. The assembly has a cable with at least one end, and the cable includes a plurality of insulated conductors encased therein and extending beyond the at least one end of the cable for electrical connection within the housing of the multiple connection device, respectively. A connector is releasably secured in stress relief association with a part of the cable at least generally adjacent the at least one end thereof. The connector includes a sleeve disposed about the cable part and yieldable at least in part for releasable gripping engagement with the cable part, and means is associated with the sleeve for exerting a force thereon to effect the yielding of the at least part of the sleeve means into the releasable gripping engagement thereof with the cable part thereby to releasably secure the connector in the stress relief association thereof with the cable part.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,517,408, which issued to Pegram on May 14, 1985, describes a self-centering cable fastener. A bipartite cable fastener in which abutting faces of the respective parts are provided with complementary camming surfaces extending in orthogonal directions to center the body parts both axially and transversely during movement of the faces together. A laterally extending, mounted flange and detent shoulder are provided on each part in axially spaced relation for securing the fastener in a panel aperture, a socket for a release tool extending axially from one face to a location adjacent the shoulder and a stress relieving cavity being formed in the opposite face to extend axially between the socket and the cable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,758, which issued to Masuda et al on Oct. 11, 1994, describes a wiring arrangement for an outboard motor. The wiring arrangement includes a circular wire harness body fitted within a casing that is secured to the upper portion of the engine of the outboard motor. The wire harness body has sets of branch wires that extend outwardly and which may also extend through slots formed in the sidewall of the casing for coupled connection with branch leads that extend to various electrical components of the engine. The branch wire connectors may alternatively be formed integrally with the slots in the casing at which point the branch leads may be connected. Another embodiment provides tube-like extensions which extend outwardly from the slots to protect the branch wires. The branch leads and the coupled connections may also be contained within the tube-like extensions for protection.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,123, which issued to Young on Jul. 7, 1987, describes a cable organizing and protection system and method. Multiple conductor cables are connected to horizontally distributed component equipments within a vertical array inside a cabinet. The cables are brought into the cabinet through or near the bottom and a clear space is provided within the cabinet generally parallel to the arrays. Each array has a plurality of cables, each consisting of a plurality of conductors. Starting with the lowermost, the cables to connect to a given equipment are collected into a bundle by retainer means, preferably a resilient U-shaped clip which can be sprung to fit into a hole in a plate along a cabinet wall. The cables are terminated in connector means which are plugged into horizontally distributed mating connectors for each component equipment supported on a stress relief panel supported by the cabinet. The clip for each bundle of cables is generally at the level of the component equipment to which it attaches so that it carries most of the weight of the cables. The lowermost component equipment is connected first and its retainer is supported on the cabinet closest to the array. Later component equipments are connected in sequence from the lowermost to the uppermost and their cable retainers are supported on the cabinet in a pattern progressively further from the strain relief panel but always close to the level of the component equipment to which they are connected.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,415,219, which issued to Kuhl et al on Nov. 15, 1983, describes a connector with removal stress relief construction. A low profile electrical connector assembly for insertion into a mating socket having a connector body whose pin to lead wire input configuration is non-linear is described. The connector body includes a nose-like projection which acts to reduce the lateral stress imposed on the connector pins when the assembly is removed from its mating socket by a pulling force exerted on the lead wires.
The patents described above are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in the description of the present invention.
The hoses, wires, and cables connected to an outboard motor experience significant movement, particularly in the region immediately in front of the outboard motor. Since the outboard motor pivots about a vertical steering axis and the hoses, wires, and cables are generally fixed within the boat in front of the outboard motor, those hoses, wires, and cables experience significant flexing as the outboard motor moves back and forth about its vertical steering axis. It would therefore be significantly beneficial if a device was provided to act as a strain relief for the hoses, wires, and cables and, additionally, to separate certain cables from other wires and hoses because those certain cables experience flexing in the normal course of their use. More specifically, push-pull cables experience some movement as a result of their normal use even when the outboard motor is not pivoting about its vertical steering axis. It would therefore be significantly beneficial if a device could be provided which segregates certain cables, such as push-pull cables, from other wires and hoses that do not experience this type of movement through the normal course of their operation.